Container tipping machine



Jan. 8, 1935. 1.. E. ANDERSON CONTAINER TIPPING MACHINE Filed Oct. 6, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l 055a? Zfflnal rsn Jan. 8, 1935. L. E. ANDERSON CONTAINER TIPPING MACHINE :s Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 6, 1930 Jnvmior Z055zefj77der50n BWKW Jan. 8; 19'35. I... E. ANDERSON CONTAINER TIPPING MACHINE Filed Oct. 6, 1930 3 Shegts-Sheet 3 Patented Jan. 8, 1935 PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER TIPPING MACHINE Lossie E. Anderson, Chicago, 'IlL, assignor to Standard Oil Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Indiana Application October 6,

30 Claims.

This invention pertains to a mechanism for handling containers such as barrels and the like and more particularly to a machine whereby the containers may be taken from one track or con- 5 veyor, automatically turned from one axial position to another and disposed upon a second track or conveyor in the axial position to which they are turned.

The machine to be disclosed herein has been practically applied and operated satisfactorily in connection with the handling of grease and oil barrels, so for convenience of reference as well as for the purpose of giving a better understanding of the invention, the invention will be disclosed in its application to a barrel handling system. Obviously, however, its usefulness is not so limited.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide mechanism whereby a container, disposed in one axial position such as a horizontal rolling axis position on a conveyor and carried therealong by the conveyor or by gravity or other means, may be turned from such posi-- tion automatically and automatically placed in 5 another position, such as on end, on a second conveyor by which the container may be carried away.

Another object is to provide a simple, cheap and eflicient arrangement of the character specified which may be operated in predetermined timed relationship to the time of receipt of the containers or in such manner as to predetermine spacing of containers on the conveyor for carrying the containers away after they have been turned, or both.

Many other objects, as well as the advantages and uses of the invention, should be or will become readily appreciated and understood after reading the following description and claims and 40 after viewing the drawings in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a barrel tipping machine illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, showing a gravity conveyor and a power driven conveyor with the tipping machine disposed therebetween.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, looking from the left 4 hand end of either Fig. 1 or Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 isa sectional detail of the clutch and driving mechanism.

Fig; 5 is a section taken along the line VV of Fig. 4 showing the clutch and associated details, and

1930, Serial No. 486,631

Fig. 6 is a section taken along the line VI-VI of Fig. 4.

Suitable foundation members 2 and 3, receiving their support from the floor 5, support four standards 6, which are suitably interbraced and connected by framing members such as 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12. Pivotally mounted upon the front standards 6 at their upper ends on pivots 13 is a barrel receiving cradle or tipper comprising side members 14 interbraced by a shoe 15 at their front ends and by any suitable brace or spacer, if desired, at their rear ends. The cradle or tipper is adapted to be moved between its full line position and its dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 to turn a barrel received thereon in its horizontal or full line position through an angle of 90 about an axis at ,right angles to its rolling axis and place the barrel, when in such turned position, upon a conveyor upon which the barrel is carried away. The swinging of the cradle to up end the barrel is accomplished by mechanism to be described.

A prime mover, which may be the motor 16 mounted upon a suitable supporting bracket 1'7 carried by the frame of the machine, continuously drives the shaft 18 and the gear 19 through a chain of reducing gears, including the gears 21, 22 and 23, all suitably carried upon the bracket 17. The gear 19 is loosely mounted upon a shaft 24 between a collar 25 pinned to the shaft 24 and a second collar 26 likewise pinned or keyed to the shaft 24. The shaft 24 is suitably mounted in bearings 27 carried upon the frame members 9 andupon its outer ends crank arms 28 are keyed or pinned in registering position. Pivotally connected to the outer end of each crank arm, as shown at 29, is a connecting rod 31, the upper end of which is provided with a head 32 which is slidably mounted upon and guided by a pair of rods 33, which are secured at one end to a block 34 pivoted as shown at 35 to the outer side of one of the longitudinal frame members 14 of the cradle. Springs 36 are interposed between the head 32 and the block 34 and springs 37 are interposed between the head 32 and suitable abutments such as nuts 38 on ends of the rods 33 to act as shock absorbers. As the crank arms are rotated the connecting rods are pushed upwardly and swing the cradle about its pivots 13 from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and then back again.

A clutch mechanism is provided for engaging and disengaging the source of power with the shaft 24. The gear 19 is provided with a boss 39 in the outer face of which and concentrically disposed with respect to the axis of the shaft 24 a plurality of recesses 41 are provided. One side of each recess may be beveled down as shown at 42. The collar 26 not only serves to retain the gear 19 in place, but also provides a brake drum, the surface of which is indicated at 43 and houses a clutch element 44, which is disposed within a recess in the collar and normally urged toward the boss 39 under the influence of a spring 45. A tooth 46 on the clutch element 44 is adapted to engage within any one of the recesses 41. I

A U shaped trip lever 47. disposed between the frame members 14 of the cradle and projecting into the path of a barrel when received thereon, is pivotally mounted as shown at.48, upon the rear standards 6. At its rear ends, the trip lever 47 is connected to the upper ends of springs 49, the other ends of which are connected as at 51 to a rigid portion of the frame-so that this trip lever is normally pulled in a counter clockwise direction by the springs. Forwardly of the pivots 48 the trip lever is pivotally connected as at 52 to a rod 53, the lower end-oi which is in turnpivotally connected, as at 54, to a clutchoperating rod 55 pivoted at 56 at the forward end of the frame member 9. The free end of the clutch rod 55 is provided with a clutch disengaging head 57, which has a knife edge enabling it, under certain conditions, to pass into a slot 56 in the underside of the clutch element 44, thereby to retract the tooth 46 from a. recess 41 to permit the gear 19 to idle on" the shaft 24.

1i brake band 59 encircles the breaking surface 43 of the collar 26 and is held in position by a brake rod 61 which may be rigi ly secured to the frame member 9 at the place at which the clutch rod 55 is pivotally connected. The brake band 59 is adjustable through the medium of a bolt 62, a spring 63 and a nut 64 so that any desired tension may be put upon the brake drum as may be required. The tension on the drum is constant in the embodiment of the invention illustrated and is preferably just suilicient to kill the momentum of the moving parts as the tipping cradle is returned to its initial position so that the cradle comes to rest in proper position to .receive' the next barrel. 4

Adjacent the receiving side of the tipping machine standards 65 support a track or conveyor,

the rails 66 of which are suitably, spaced so that barrels may be supported and rolled upon them.

In the present form of the invention the rails are inclined upwardly to and downwardly from a .55 p ak 67 so that each barrel designated as (shown in dotted lines in different positions in the several Jgures) is pushed up to and over the peak 67 by the barrels behind it. Owing to the downwardly inclined portion of the track between the peak 67 and the tipping mechanism, the barrel rolls down onto the cradle of the tipper under the influence of gravity but, quite obviously, positive mechanism for placing the barrels upon the tippercould be substituted for the, gravity track.

When the barrel rolls upon the cradle it-comes to rest thereon poationed by the'edges of the longitudinal frame members 14 of the cradle which, in the embodiment shown, are cut away as at 69 for curved sided barrels and guided and positioned by a rearwardly projecting tongue 71, preferably formed integral with the sho'e'15. The

barrel, due to its weight, depresses the lever 47' which depresses the connecting rod 53 and disengages the dog 57 from the clutch element, permittingthespring45tourgethetooth46toward the boss 39 and into one of the notches 41, when one comes into registration therewith, the inclined face 42 assisting in engaging the tooth in a notch. This action clutches the shaft, 24 to the gear 19, whereupon rotation of the shaft 24 swings the cradle about its pivot in a counter clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 1, through the intermediary of the crank arms 26, the connecting rods 31 and their associate mechanisms.

As the rear end of the cradleis swung upwardly, the barrel slides forward under-the influence of gravity and comes to rest on the cradle against a foot 72 which serves to hold the barrel, as well illustrated in Fig. 1, until the barrel is accepted by the conveyor which carries it away standing on end. This conveyor comprises a pair of chains 73 which carry over sprockets 74 either of which may be constantly or intermittently driven from a suitable sourceof power. ,If desired, the prime mover 16 may also be connected to drive the sprockets 74 or the conveyor chains 73. The chains 73 are supported and guided duringtheir travel by angles 75 suitably attached to the supports 2 and 3 and are spacedsuiliciently far apart as to give clearance to the foot 72, which passes between them and below their top surfaces.

When the; mechanism and the barrel reach the positions illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the foot 72 is below the top surfaces of the chains of the chain conveyor or track and the barrel is transferred from the foot 72 to the chains which 'carry the barrel clear of the foot so that continued rotation of the shaft 24 may return the cradle to its initial position. Metal guides 75 extend along the sides of the supports 3 and preventthe barrels from moving on the conveyor chains as they are carried along.

The driving mechanism and the connections are so arranged that one complete revolution of thebull gear- 19 causes the cradle to move from.

its horizontal full line position to its substannotch 41 whereupon the brake 59 becomes effectivetogether with the inertia of the several parts to stop and hold the cradle in its horizontal position ready for the next barrel to be received thereon.

It should be appreciated that this mechanism greatly facilitates the handling of barrels and eliminates a considerable amoimt of manual labor which would otherwise be necessary. Furthermore, the :barrels may be moved onto the cradle in timed relationship. the'tipping machine may be set to operate in predetermined timed relation to receipt of barrels thereon and may be coordinated with the chain conveyorto dispose the barrels thereon in predetermined timed or spaced relation to one another. Conveyors of difi'erent types may also be substituted for the chain con-. 7

parts, the mechanism could be operated in the reverse manner, that is, the barrels could be. re-' ceived onto the cradle when the latter is in the position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and the machine operated to raise the barrel to a horizontal rolling axis position in which position the barrel could be discharged onto a second conveyor.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred form of the invention many variations,

changes and modifications could be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, an inclined track for barrels disposed in a rolling axis position, a cradle at the lower end of said track pivoted near its middle on a horizontal axis and adapted to receive a barrel from said track, a means attached to one end of the cradle for tilting said cradle, means automatically operative upon receipt of a barrel on said cradle for swinging said cradle on its pivot, and means operative to remove the barrel from said cradle after the latter has swung through a predetermined are above said pivot.

2. In combination, a track upon which a con: tainer may be transported from one place to another disposed on the track in a predetermined position, a second continuously movable track adjacent the first said track, a support positioned between said tracks, a cradle pivotally mounted on said support for movement between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position for receiving a container from the first said track, means automatically operative upon receipt of a container on said cradle for turning said cradle and container through a predetermined angle about its axis and depositing the container in the resulting position on the continuously movable track.

3. In combination, a track upon which a container may be transported from one place to another, a second continuously movable track adjacent the first said track, a support, a cradle fulcrumed near its middle and mounted on said support for movement between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position for receiving a container from the first said track, a means within the horizontal plane of the cradle when said cradle is in a substantially horizontal position which is automatically operative upon receipt of a container upon said cradle for turning said cradle and container through a predetermined angle and depositing the container in the resulting position on the second track.

4. In combination, a track upon which a container may be transported from'one place to another while disposed on the track in a predetermined position, a second continuously movable track adjacent the first said track and extending at anangle less than a straight angle to the first said track, a cradle at the end of the first said track for movement between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position, means'automatically operative upon receipt of a container on said cradle for turning said container and cradle through a predetermined angle about one axis and depositing the container in the resulting position on the continuously movable track.

5. In combination, a track for barrels disposed with their rolling axis positioned in a substantially horizontal plane, a second continuously movable track adjacent the first said track and extending at substantially right angles to the first said track, a support, a cradle pivotally mounted on said support for movement between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position, a prime mover, a clutch between said prime mover and cradle,

means normally holding said clutch inoperative, means automatically operative upon receipt of a container upon the cradle for rendering said holding means inoperative.

6. In combination, a conveyor track for barrels disposed with their rolling axis in a substantially horizontal plane, a second continuously movable conveyor track extending at substantially right angles to first said track for handling barrels standing on end, a support, a cradle pivotally mounted on said support for turning the rolling axis of the barrel from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position and placing said barrel on the second continuously movable conveyor track, a prime mover, a clutch, a means for holding said clutch inoperative, and a means for automatically rendering said holding means inoperative upon receipt of a barrel upon said cradle.

7. In combination, a conveyor way for barrels with their rolling axis in a substantially horizontal plane, a support, a cradle pivotally mounted on said support for receiving the barrel from said conveyor way, a means automatically operative upon receipt of a container upon said cradle to swing said barrel and cradle downwardly to place the barrel with its rolling axis in a substantially vertical position, a second continuously movable conveyor way for intercepting and removing the barrel from the cradle.

8. In combination, a conveyor way for barrels disposed with a rolling axis in a substantially horizontal plane, a support, a cradle pivotally mountedonsaid support for receiving the barrel from said conveyor way, a means automatically operative upon receipt of a container upon said cradle to swing said barrel and cradle downwardly and place thebarrel with its rolling axis at an angle to the horizontal plane, and a second continuously movable conveyor way adjacent the first; conveyor way and extending at an angle less than a straight angle to the first said con.-'

veyor for intercepting and receiving the barrel-l from the cradle.

dle pivotally mounted near its middle upon said support, a normally inoperative driving means, a means connecting the normally inoperative driving means and one end of said cradle for tilting said cradle about its pivots, a means operative upon receipt of a barrel upon said cradle to render said driving means operative.

10. A barrel tipper, comprising in combination a support, a cradle pivotally mounted near its middle on a horizontal axis for movement between a substantially horizontalposition and a substantially vertical position, ameans attached to one end of the cradle ior swinging said cradle about its pivots, a second means adjacent said cradle for automatically operating the first means upon receipt of the barrel upon the cradle.

11. A barrel tipper, comprising in combination, a support, a cradle fulcrumed near its middle and mounted upon said support, a normally inoperative driving means, an arm connecting the normally inoperative driving means and one end of said cradle, a means adjacent said cradle for automatically operating 'sai d normally inoperative driving means upon receipt of a container upon said cradle.

12. A barrel tipper, comprising in combination, a support, a cradle fulcrumed near its middle and mounted upon said support for movement between a substantially horizontal position and. a substantially vertical position, a normally inoperative driving means, an arm connecting the normally inoperative driving means and one end of said cradle, a means adjacent said cradle for automatically operating said normally inoperative driving means upon receipt of a container upon said cradle.

13.- In combination, a track for barrels disposed with a rolling axis positioned in a substantially horizontal plane, a support, a cradle fulcrumed near its middle and mounted upon said support, a normally inoperative driving means, an arm connecting the normally inoperative driving means and one end of said cradle, a means adjacent said cradle for automatically operating said driving means upon receipt of a container upon said cradle; and a second continuously movable track for intercepting the barrels when the rolling axis of said barrels has been turned to a substantially verticalrposition.

14. In combination, a'track upon which a container may'be transported from one place to another while disposed on the track in a predetermined position, a second track adjacent the first track, a support, a cradle fulcrumed near its middle and mounted on said support to receive a container from the first said track, means operative upon receipt of a container on said cradle for turning said cradle and container through a predetermined angle about one axis of the barrel and depositing the container in the resulting position on the second track.

15. A barrel tipping machine containing in combination a support, a barrel tipper consisting of an oscillatable shaft mounted on said support and spaced barrel supporting means secured to said shaft, said barrel tipper adapted for movement between a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position, a prime mover, normally inoperative means connecting said prime mover and barrel tipper for actuating said barrel tipper thru substantially a right angle, a

means positioned intermediate said spaced bar rel supports and operated by a container disposed on said spaced barrel supporting means for rendering said normally inoperative means operative.

16. A barrel tipping machine containing in combination a support, a barrel cradle compristially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position and then back to the substantially horizontal position, a means disposed between said supporting arms and actuated by a barrel disposed on said supporting arms for rendering said\ normally inoperative means operative.

17. A barrel tipping machine comprising in combination, a support, a barrel cradiecomprising an oscillatable shaft mounted on said support and spaced barrel supporting means secured to said shaft, said cradle adapted to receive barrels in a rolling axis position, a prime mover, normally inoperative means for establishing operative relation between said prime mover and barrel cradle for turning said cradle from substantially a horizontal position to a substantially vertical position and then back to the substantially horidisposed on said supporting means for rendering said normally inoperative means operative.

18. In combination, a track upon which a con tainer may be transported from one place to another on the track in a rolling axis position, a second movable track adjacent the first said track, a support, a barrel cradle comprising an oscillatable shaft mounted on said support and spaced barrel supporting means secured to said shaft, said cradle adapted to receive barrels disposed in a rolling axis position, a prime mover,

combination, a track upon which a barrel may be transported from .one place to another in a rolling axis position, a support adjacent said track, a barrel cradle mounted on said support and comprising an oscillatable shaft with spaced barrel supporting means secured to said shaft, said cradle adapted to receive barrels from said track, a prime mover, normally inoperative means connecting said prime mover and barrel tipper for turning said barrel cradle through substantially a right angle, a means positioned intermediate said spaced barrel supports which is operated when a container is disposed upon said barrel supporting means for rendering said normally inoperative means operative, and a continuously movable conveyor for intercepting the barrels disposed on the spaced barrel supporting means after said barrels have been turned through substantially a right angle.

20. A machine of the class described, comprising, in combination, a track for containers disposed in a rolling axis position, a support adjacent said track, a cradle mounted on said support and pivoted near its middle on a horizontal axis and adapted to receive a container from said track, a prime mover, a normally inoperative means connecting the prime mover .and one end of the cradle for tilting saidcradle through a predetermined angle about its pivot, a continuously movable track for intercepting and removing a container from said cradle after the container has been turned through the predetermined angle, and a means automatically operative upon receipt of a container upon the cradle for rendering said normally inoperative means operative.

21. A machine of the class described, comprising, in combination, a track upon which a container may be transported from one place to another, a support, a cradle fulcrumed at a point away from its ends and mounted on said support for movement between a substantially horizontal position and a substantially vertical position and adapted to receive a container from said track, a means within the horizontal plane of the cradle when said cradle is in a substantially horizontal position which is automatically operative upon receipt of a container upon said cradle for turning said cradle and container through a, predetermined angle and a second continuously movable track adjacent said support for intercepting and removing the container from the cradle after the cradle has moved to a substantially vertical position;

22. A barrel tipper comprising a support, a cradle pivotally mounted at a point intermediate its ends upon said support, a normally inoperative driving means, a means connecting the normally inoperative driving means and one end of said cradle for turning said cradle on its pivots, and a means operative upon receiving a barrel upon said cradle to render said driving means operative.

23. In combination, a track upon which a container may be transported from one place to another while disposed upon the track in a predetermined position, a second track adjacent the first track, a support, a cradle fulcrumed at a point intermediate its ends and mounted upon said support and adapted to receive a container from the first said track, means operative on receipt of a container upon said cradle for turning said cradle and container through a predetermined angle and depositing the container in the resulting position upon the second track.

24. A container tipping machine comprising, in combination, a conveyor way for barrels disposed in a rolling axis position, a support adjacent said conveyor way, an oscillatable shaft mounted upon said support, spaced container supporting means secured to said shaft for receiving a container from said conveyor way, a prime mover, normally inoperative means connecting said prime mover with the container supporting means for tuming said container supporting means ,through a predetermined angle, a means adjacent said container supporting means for rendering said normally inoperative means operative when a container is placed upon said container supporting means, and a movable conveyor for intercepting and removing a container from said container supporting means after the container has been turned through a predetermined angle.

25. A container tipping machine comprising, in combination, a conveyor way for barrels, a support adjacent said conveyor way, an oscillatable shaft mounted upon said support, spaced con-.

tainer supporting arms secured to said shaft for receiving a container from said conveyor way, a prime mover, normally inoperative means connecting said prime mover with the container supporting arms for turning said supporting arms through a predetermined angle, and a means for rendering said normally inoperative means operative when a container is placed upon said container supporting arms.

26. In apparatus of the character described the combination-of a support, a barrel cradle mounted thereon for oscillation about an axis, said cradle adapted to receive barrels 'in a rolling axis position, a driving means, a shaft, a crank pin secured to said shaft, means interconnecting said crank pin and said barrel cradle including a connecting rod, means for establishing operative relation between said driving means and shaft whereby said cradleis turned from substantially a horizontal position to substantially a vertical position and then back to the substantially horizontal position in one cycle of operation, and means for causing said operating means to actuate said shaft when a barrel is disposed upon said barrel cradle.

27. A barrel tipping machine comprising in combination a support, a barrel cradle comprising an oscillatable shaft mounted on said support and spaced barrel supporting means secured to said shaft, said cradle adapted to receive barrels in a rolling axis position, a prime mover, a drive shaft, a crank pin secured to said drive shaft, 9. connecting rod interconnecting said crank pin and said barrel cradle, and means for establishing operative relation between said prime mover and said drive shaft when a barrel is disposed upon said cradle, whereby said-barrel cradle is turned from substantially a horizontal position to substantially a vertical position and then back to the substantially horizontal position in one cycle of operation.

28. A container tipping machine comprising in combination, a support, a container cradle comprising an oscillatable shaft mounted .on said support and spaced container supporting means secured to said shaft, said cradle adapted to receive containers in a rolling axis position, a prime mover, a drive shaft, a crank pin secured to said drive shaft, a connecting rod for interconnecting said crank pin and said container cradle, a normally inoperative means for establishing operative relation between said prime mover and said drive shaft whereby said cradle is turned from substantially a horizontal position to substantially a'vertical position and then back to the substantially horizontal position in one cycle of operation, and means disposed between said spaced container supporting means for rendering said normally inoperative .means operative when a container is placed upon said container cradle.

29. A container tipping machine comprising in combination, a support, a container cradle comprising an oscillatable shaft mounted on said support and spaced container supporting means secured to said shaft; said cradle adapted to receive containers in a rolling axis position, a prime mover, a, drive shaft, a crank pin on each end of said drive shaft, means interconnecting each of said crank pins with the container cradle, and

means for establishing operative relation between said prime mover and said drive shaft when a container is disposed upon said cradle, whereby said cradle is turned from substantially a horizontal position to substantially a vertical position and then back to the substantially horizontal position in one cycle of operation.

, 30. A barrel tipping machine comprising in combination, a support, a barrel cradle mounted thereon for oscillation about an axis, said cradle adapted to receive barrels in a rolling axis position, a driving means, a shaft, a crank pin secured to each end of said shaft, means interconnecting said crank pins and said barrel cradle including two connecting rods, and means for establishing operative relation between said driving means and said shaft when a barrel is disposed on said cradle, whereby said barrel cradle is turned from substantially a horizontal position to substantially a vertical position and then back to a substantially horizontal position in one cycle of operation.

LOSSIE E. ANDERSON. 

